Alfonso calls in his lawyers!

4.5 million dollars and it will all go away. That’s the figure that Alfonso Gagliano’s lawyers are seeking in damages as they filed motion in court Thursday. Claiming that Prime Minister Paul Martin exceeded his authority when he pulled the plug on Alfonso’s tenure as Ambassador to Denmark, Gagliano’s legal team is seeking 2 million dollars from Martin and the government, as compensation for damage to his reputation. The lawyers are also seeking 2 million dollars in punitive damages and another 529,300 in lost income.

Normally a Prime Minister cannot be sued, but in 1959 the Supreme Court ruled that a Prime Minister can be held accountable should he step over his authority. That is the quirk in the law that the Gagliano team is hanging their hats on.

The timing of the action of course is also a major factor, as the Prime Minister continues his electoral campaigning the Adscam scandal now explodes once again onto the pages and newscasts of the nation. Already Liberal spinmeisters are putting forward the opinion, that this lawsuit only goes to show just how hands on the Prime Minister was in addressing the scandal. And if one counts the number of lawsuits presently facing the government over the Adscam scandal, then we must assume that the Prime Minister was very hands on. Gagliano’s legal action is the fourth in line, over the Adscam issue. On billing hours alone, this scandal is proving to be a money tree for anyone with a bit of legal training.

In his statement of claim, Gagliano explains how he was appointed to be Ambassador to Denmark for four years, and the government had no right to remove him from that position, an interpretation that External Affairs Minister Bill Graham explained a bit differently when Gagliano was fired. For his part, Gagliano says that he did nothing wrong in Denmark, stating that while in Copenhagen he was regularly rewarded for his good work with salary increases and bonuses. That statement should open up a whole new kettle of fish for the opposition parties to fry as the campaign moves along.

Normally it’s said that revenge is a dish best served cold, in this case lukewarm is just as effective. It’s also a dish that is going to leave a bitter aftertaste for a very long time.

The above item appeared in my Boondoggle blog, for more stories and links to governmental issues check it out.